tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67210450415882039712018-03-05T08:02:16.470-08:00The Steadfast LightAnd I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have<br> not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the<br> rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake<br> them.<br>
(Isaiah 42:16 ESV)<br><br>
Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me<br> will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."<br>
(John 8:12 ESV)John Gibsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17472575653984149097noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6721045041588203971.post-64787655535499976382016-06-07T23:44:00.000-07:002016-06-08T07:56:18.664-07:00Vote for the lesser of two evils?<div id="_idContainer000"><div class="Paragraph">Very odd argument I’m having these days about supporting Donald Trump. It doesn't matter what trump says or does, his supporters just keep on singing his praises… all in the name of ‘We can’t let Hillary win this election.’ <br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">They say, “if you don’t vote for Trump, you’re voting for Hillary.” Really?<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">That argument doesn't work because the reverse would also have to be true. If you don’t vote for Hillary then you’re voting for Trump. Can I vote for both by not voting at all? No.<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">They exclaim, “we have to vote for the lesser of two evils!” Why?<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">The great C.H. Spurgeon once said, “of two evils, choose neither.” And he was right. How can I choose any evil, greater than or less than?<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">The Bible doesn’t say to abstain from the “greater evil” but “lesser evil is okay.” Nor does it say, “whoever knows the less evil to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” <br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">No. <br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">It says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV) and, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 KJV)<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">We, as Christians, should have a higher standard for those we lend our names to in the ballot booth.<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">I think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who stood their ground when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, commanded all to worship the statue he erected of himself. They stood their ground and God took care of them. He even protected them in the fiery furnace. <br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">Do you honestly think that God needs your help in keeping Hillary out of the White house? Do you think that God would honor your vote for the lesser evil to help him?<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">Here are some of the reasons I will not vote for Donald Trump. Some of them are outright wrong and some are just policies that most conservatives don’t agree with (not necessarily evil.) This is really just off the top of my head, I copied them from a comment I made on a Facebook post recently. </div><ul><li class="bulletpoints">He owns strip clubs and spearheaded the inclusion of them in casinos.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He owns an international escort service that provides expensive prostitutes all over the world.</li><li class="bulletpoints">The New York times has an audio recording saying that he never intends to build the wall and he believes in touchback amnesty.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He wrote a book detailing the very thing he is doing now - building a fantasy and selling it</li><li class="bulletpoints">He believes in eminent domain, tariffs, raising taxes on the rich, and raising the federal minimum wage.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He says he is going to punish businesses for moving out of the country which is not conducive to financial liberty.</li><li class="bulletpoints">I don’t think he can be trusted to appoint judges. He says his liberal sister would make a good supreme court judge but he would not nominate her because she is his sister. Not because she's liberal. He just recently endorsed Renee Ellmer, a pro-choice/pro-amnesty candidate for congress. Obama has appointed over 200 judges during the last eight years, so we can assume the same for Trump–imagine the deals and favors Trump can get out of that. </li><li class="bulletpoints">He says planned parenthood does good things and demonstrated that he has no idea what he is talking about when discussing pro-life issues.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He disparaged the judge presiding over one of the fraud cases against him (notice how he changed the narrative of the news from the case to what he said?) </li><li class="bulletpoints">He is actually linked to Jeffery Epstein and is even being sued by a woman who claims he raped her when she was thirteen.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He bragged about his numerous affairs with married women.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He talked about his penis size in a national debate.</li><li class="bulletpoints">He made fun of a handicapped reporter, called John McCain a loser for getting captured in war, calls numerous women bimbos, pigs, and ugly, and he even made a whole nation absolutely hate him for calling their farmers names.</li></ul><div class="Paragraph">This list is, in no way, meant to be exhaustive. There are many more examples of his self-indulgent statements and his natural tendency to adhere to progressive policies. I am in the process of compiling them and their citations.<br /><br /></div><div class="Paragraph">Exodus 23:1-3 ESV “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit…”</div></div>John Gibsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17472575653984149097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6721045041588203971.post-40436250476659222722012-01-22T09:12:00.000-08:002016-06-08T00:20:17.937-07:00Influence others to worship God<div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/Galatians+1%3A23+-+24/" target="_blank">Galatians 1:24</a></span></div><br />Do you influence others? <span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 190); border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 190); border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3px; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 200px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And they glorified God because of me.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">&nbsp;</span></span></i></span>&nbsp;Does your Christian walk inspire others to draw closer to God? &nbsp;Do those who come in contact with you see a&nbsp;difference&nbsp;in you. &nbsp;What about the people at work or school or even your friends, do they know that you belong to Christ?<br /><br />Those, who were alive at the time, would tell you that Paul the&nbsp;apostle&nbsp;inspired them to grow closer to God. &nbsp;They would tell you that his&nbsp;excitement&nbsp;for the Lord was contagious. <br /><br />So, what was it about Paul that&nbsp;accomplished&nbsp;this? &nbsp;What was it that led the&nbsp;believers&nbsp;to glorify God?<br /><br /><b>He reflected God in his everyday life.</b><br />What God did in his life inspired others. &nbsp;In fact, generation after generation many people have dropped to their knees and surrendered themselves to glorify God.<br /><br />In the previous verse we get a glimpse <span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 190); border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 190)); border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 3px; float: right; height: auto; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 220px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">“He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">”</span></span></i></span> of a few key attributes that lead believers to glorify God. These are attributes that all Christians should exhibit.<br /><br />So, what are the attributes that Paul&nbsp;conveyed?<br /><br />First, I'll tell you what they're not. &nbsp;Paul didn't raise his voice, shake his hands, or use inflections in his speech(and God-ah smote-ah...) He didn't conjure up any emotion or plead for believers to worship as he fervently wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.<br /><br />Rather, it was organic. &nbsp;It just naturally occurred. &nbsp;He lived his life in pitch with God's melody and resonated. Who Paul was, what God did, and what Paul became, reflected God's love, grace, and power.<br /><ul><li><b>Love</b></li></ul>The believers said, “he used to...”, because Paul was headed in the wrong direction. &nbsp;He was ignorant and tried to stifle the church. <br /><br />But, God revealed his love and reached out to him in spite of his declared war on Christians. &nbsp;God's action of love validated that God does seek and save those who are lost, that God truly leaves the 99 for the lone stray, and that God really does love the world enough to give his only son!<br /><br />Love! &nbsp;Paul's very being declared God's love.<br /><ul><li><b>Grace</b></li></ul>The believers said, “he used to persecute...”, because our Lord forgave Paul at the height of his sin, even when he didn't deserve God's mercy. &nbsp;God revealed his grace by overlooking Paul's past and giving him a new future. &nbsp;Oh, the wonder of God's words: "Your sins are forgiven."<br /><br />And so, the believers saw the depth of God's grace and fell to their knees in praise. <br /><ul><li><b>Power</b></li></ul>The believers said, “he used to persecute us and now he's preaching the faith..." &nbsp;God not only showered Paul with grace but he also transformed him.<br /><br />This demonstrated God's power.<br /><br />When Jesus raised a man from the dead, the people saw his power and glorified God. &nbsp;In the same way, Paul was dead and God gave him a new life. &nbsp;He was dead but then alive. &nbsp;He was lost but then was found! <br /><br />He was set apart from who he was - his past, what he believed, and his influences – and it was apparent in Paul's daily life. <br /><br /><b>Paul acted in love.</b><br />He was so concerned for others that he made it his passion to bring the gospel to anyone and everyone he possibly could.<br /><br /><b>Paul acted in grace.</b><br />He forgave those who hated him, imprisoned him, beat him, and left him for dead.<br /><br /><b>Paul acted in power.</b><br />He preach the faith without fear. &nbsp;He stood up for righteousness and boldly spoke about salvation to those in authority, both to religious leaders and to political leaders. &nbsp;He even presented the gospel to Nero, who was ultimately responsible for Paul’s death.<br /><br /><b>God wants us to be influential.</b><br />This is God's desire for each and every one of us. &nbsp;That 'who we are' would demonstrate God's love, grace, and power. &nbsp;That we would be set apart. &nbsp;Different.<br /><br />It is in this, your separation, the contrast, the difference from 'who you were' to 'who you are' in Christ that lead people to glorify God! &nbsp;You were blind, aimless, pursuing empty goals. &nbsp;But, God intervened! &nbsp;He built a beacon with the cross as its support beam. &nbsp;And then led you away from the inevitable shipwreck and brought you into the safety of his harbor. <br /><br /><b>Now you're the beacon</b>.<br />You are a light. &nbsp;Climb to the top of God's Holy hill and shine! &nbsp;Let God's intervention be known! &nbsp;Reveal your true nature and publicize it.<br /><br /><b>And, all those around you will see the light!</b><br />The believer will bask in it and worship the Lord. The sinner will see the path of salvation and follow it to Jesus.<br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Radiate!</span></b> &nbsp;And drive them to their knees. <br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Demonstrate!</span></b> &nbsp;And they will lift their hands in surrender, their hearts in worship, their voices in praise, their souls in gratitude.<br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Love!</span></b> &nbsp;And they will give their lives in sacrifice. <br /><br /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Live, and '<u>they will glorify God because of you!</u>'</span></i></b></div>John Gibsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17472575653984149097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6721045041588203971.post-78609096125287398542011-12-31T14:18:00.001-08:002016-06-08T00:23:33.408-07:00The Glory of God Revealed<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/exodus+33%2C+34/" target="_blank">Exodus 33 &amp; 34</a></i></span></div>&nbsp; &nbsp; <span style="border-bottom: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); border-top: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 200px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">&nbsp;</span></span></i></span> <br />In an intimate moment of prayer, Moses pleaded for God to reveal himself in all his glory. &nbsp;I read these verses and wonder if Moses was experiencing alzheimer in his old age (he was over 80 years old!)&nbsp; Moses experienced the burning bush, plagues of Egypt, smoke and fire, the ten commandments, and Gods voice. &nbsp;What more could there possibly be?<br />&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><b>But, Moses knew there was more.</b> <br /><br />He understood that God was greater than what his mind could imagine. It's interesting to me that people think they have God all figured out. &nbsp;That they, in their grapefruit sized brains, could comprehend the creator of all things, including time itself!&nbsp; How foolish. &nbsp;There is so much more to God. Moses understood this and wanted more. &nbsp;He wasn't content with the knowledge that he had up until that point. He wanted more and God wanted to give him more. &nbsp;God wants to give you more too!<br />&nbsp; <br /><b>God couldn't show him his complete glory.</b><br /><span style="border-bottom: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); border-top: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); float: right; height: auto; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 160px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">“you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">”</span></span></i></span><br />God's glory is so magnificent, so complex that our minds couldn't contain it. &nbsp;His full glory would kill us. <br /><br /><b>So, God gave Moses a glimpse.</b><br /><br />God had Moses stand in cleft where his peripheral vision was blocked. &nbsp;God then declared his glory and obstructed Moses's vision as his 'goodness' passed by. &nbsp;God then allowed Moses to see his residual glory.&nbsp; God's declaration and residuary glory was so powerful and epic that it caused Moses to literally shine! He couldn't even contain God's residual glory. He actually had to wear a veil to conceal it because people were afraid of him.<br /><br /><b>God declared his glory.</b><br /><span style="border-bottom: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); border-top: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">”</span></span></i></span>Unfortunately, we have no idea what Moses actually saw, but we are fortunate in that God declared his glory and that we can experience it! &nbsp;So, you ask, what was the declaration? <b><u>&nbsp;His name</u></b>!<br /><br /><b>Forgiving, merciful and&nbsp;judgment?&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><span style="border-bottom: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); border-top: 3px double rgb(220, 220, 190); float: right; height: auto; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dedac2; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful... forgiving iniquity...but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children... to the third and the fourth generation.”</span></i></span>He exclaims that he is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, loving, faithful, and forgiving... <i>and then</i>, he says that he will punish the guilty. <br /><br /><b>Is this a contradiction?</b> <br /><br />It would seem so. &nbsp;But, this paradox, these contrasting statements, were made complimentary to each other in Jesus Christ<u>.</u><br /><u>&nbsp;</u> <br /><b>Jesus brought these two attributes together at the cross by exchanging guilt, judgment, and punishment for grace, love, and forgiveness!</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And that is glorious indeed!</span> </div>John Gibsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17472575653984149097noreply@blogger.com0